Switch



Oct'. 20,. 19275.

C. D. WIEM ER Filed April l5, 1922 Z arles?. .Wie/ner wenn,

Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

i CHARLES D. WIENER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

SWITCH.

Apfmeation mea April is, 1922. serial No. 552,376.

To all 'whom t may concern-.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES D. WViEivuiR, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles andState of California., have invented new and useful Y'lii'ip'rovements inSwitches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a switch mechanism particularly adapted for use inconnection with a signaling system for a vehicle, whereby drivers ofother vehicles as well as pedestrians, may be warned of the intendedmovement of the vehicle upon which the device 1s installed. A

The signalling system preferably includes a usual tail-light, an inicator light ad]a cent the driver and adapted to show the working of thesystem, and lights adapted to respectively warn of an intention to stop,.and to turn to the right and to the left.

The switch mechanism controlling these lights, com rises three elements,which are so arrange as to respectively control the stop and turnsignalling lights.. When one of the switch elements is actuated, thecorresponding signalling light, is illuminated and preferably caused to`flicker, aid at the same time the indicator light adjacent the driver issimilarly illuminated.

-In the day time, when the tail-light is not normally burning, actuationof one of the switch elements, will also cause flickering illuminationof the tail-light, and at night, when the tail-light and the indicatorlight are normally illuminated, they will be caused to flicker, when oneof the switches is operated.

In practice, the system is preferably so arranged that the tail-lightwill have a reduced intermittent illumination, when it is caused toflicker, in order that the signalling light 4may be readily seen.

The invention thus rovides a fiickeiing signal, which will quic lyattract attention, and positively warn of the intended movement of thevehicle.

The invention will be readily understood from the following descriptiono'f the accompanying, drawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammaticshowing of the improved switch mechanism and signalling system. K I

Fio's. 2 and 3 are plan views of one of the switct-helements, lookingfrom opposite sides.

The system, as illustrated, is adapted for use upon a motor vehicle orthe like, the usual indicator light mounted upon the instrument boardbeing shown at 1, and the tail-light at 2. Lights 3, 4 and 5 arepreferably mounted at the rear of the machine, and are for signallingrespectively, an intention to turn to the right, to turn to the left andto stop.

The three units of the switch mechanism are of similar construction, andeach comprises a housing Y and a switch lever X.

Multiple point feeder contacts are positioned in the respectivehousings, and are shown at 7, 8 and 9. Contact strips 10, 11 and 12 arespa-ced from the multiple point contacts, and form complementary feedercontacts.

The switch levers X carry bridges 13, 14 and 15, which, when the leversare actuated, establish electrical connection between the. complementarycontacts, and due to the multiple point construction of contacts 7, 8and 9, an intermittently made and broken circuit is established as theswitch levers are swung'upon their pivots. When the limit'of movement ofa switch lever is reached, it is released, and returned to its originalposition by a spring c.

Spaced contacts 16, 17 and 18 are supported by the respective switchhousings, and when the switch levers are in ino erative position, thesecontacts are bridg by conductors 91, 92, and 93, carried by levers X.When the switch levers are actuated, contacts 16, 17 and 18 break thecircuit in which they are arranged.

Spaced contacts 71-19, 7 220, and 73--21 are also supported by therespective switch housings, and are bridged by bridges 13, 14 and 15;when the switch levers are in ino erative position. Circuits are brokenat t ese points when the bridges 13, 14 and 15 are shifted with therespective levers, and upon release of contacts 19, 20 and 21, theyswing into contact with strips 22, 23 and` 24 carried by the switchhousings.

Considering the switch construction more in detail, attention isdirected to Figures 2 and 3 showing one of the switch units, andinasmuch as such units are complementary, the construction of' but oneunit is necessary to afford a clear understanding of the invention. Informing the. switch the housing Y and the switch lever X are formed of asuitable insulating material; the lever X being pivoted at a within thehousing and extending through a slot b in the latter; the lever beingnormally held retracted by the spring c and maintained in the positionshown in Figure 2 with the bridge thereon effect-ing electricalconnection between the contact members 71 and 19 and maintaining thecontact member 19 out of electrical connection with the contact member22. The multiple point contact member indicated at 7 is arranged withits contact points disposed on an arc concentric with the pivotalmounting a of the lever in such manner that as the latter is advanced,the bridge indicated at 13 will pass successively over the multiplepoints and opera-tel to effect electrical connection with the contactmember 10 which extends on an. arc in spaced relation to the contactpoints on the contact 7, from which it will be seen that in moving theswitch lever X throughout the length of the slot I), in either a forwardor backward direction the contact member 13 will be intermittently movedin and out of engagement with the contact member 7.

A source of electrical energy for the system is shown at B, and the mainfeed line M leads from the same to the respective contacts 7, 8 and 9.Leading from the source.

of electrical energy B is a conductor C from which lead conductors D, E,F, and G leading through the tail light 2 and signal lights 3, 4, 'and5, respectively; the conductor B connecting with a conductor vH througha resistance coil 6, which conductor H connects with the contact strips10, 11 and 12 and leads to a conductor I passing through the lamp 1 andconnecting with the contact 20. The conductor E passing through lamp 3connects with contact 22; conductor F leading through lamp 4 connectswith contact 24, and conductor G leading through lamp 5 connects withcontact 23. A shunt circuit conductor Z around the resistance coil 6leads from the conductor D to the conductor I in which is arranged thepairs of contact members 16, 17, and 18.

Contacts 71-19, 7 2 20, and 7 3-21 are connected in series, and at oneend are connected-to the multiple point contacts as by the line W, whileat their opposite end they are connected to the side of light 1 which isop osite the connection between said light an the line C. f

A switch S is preferably provided in the line W, for controlling thetail-light, as will be hereinafter explained.

The operation of the system is as follows A circuit is rovided for thetail-light and the indicator ight, which, when switch S is closed, is aclosed circuit for steady burning of saidl lights, except when one ofthe sigl, thence through contacts 19-22,

nal lights is illuminated, b moving vits controlling switch. This is t enormal condition at ni ht; in the da time this circuit is opened yopening switch S, so that the tail-light and indicator light do not burnunder normal conditions, that is, when the signal lights are notilluminated.

This circuit may be traced as follows battery B, line M, contact 7, lineW, the contacts of the three switches of which contact 71, bridge 13,contact 19, is an example, then through light 1, shunt' circuit Z, andlight 2, back to the battery.

Under such normal conditions, circuits through the signal lights arebroken. When one of the switch levers is actuated to illuminate thedesired signal light, said light iscaused to flicker, and at the sametime the indicator light 1 and the tail-light are caused to flicker,whether or not they have been previously illuminated. The resistance 6is also placed in the circuit through the tail-light, to preventoverillumination of the same when not in series. Y

lVhen a switch lever is actuated to cause this result, contacts will bemade and broken as follows; reference being made to the left hand switchof Fig. 1.

Line Z is broken at contacts 16, bridge 13 breaks connection withcontacts 71-19, and makes connection with contact 10, while alternatelymaking and breaking with con? tact 7. At the'same time contact 19engages contact 22.

The circuit throu h the tail-light may then be traced as fol ows:

Battery B, line M, the intermittent circuit formednby contact 7, bridge13, and contact 10, conductor H, resistance 6, conductor D thetail-light, and back to the battery.

At the same time the circuit through the indicator light 1 and signallight 3 is as follows:

Through the intermittent circuit making 'means as previouslydescribed,-that is, through line M, contact 7, bridge 13, contact 10,conductor H, conductor I throutglh light e light 3, and line C back tothe battery.

The circuits for each of the other switches and their correspondingsignal lights may be similarly traced when the respective switches areactuated.

It will thus be seen that the tail-light and indicator light may beilluminated irr tive of the operation of the signal lig ts, and thatwhen one of the si al lights is illuminated, it is caused to lcker, andat the same time, the tail-li ht and the indicator light will also flicer. Furthermore,

when a signal light is illuminated, the brilliancy of the tail-light isintermittent, in order to readily observe the signal light.

It will be apparent that various changes may be made in the constructionas thus described, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

\ with to intermittently engage the contact points when the switch is:actuated, and a circuit maker and `breaker comprising a fixed contactand a movable contact actuated by said first movable contact, saidcircuit maker and breaker bei arranged whereby an electric circuit incluing sald first movable contact is opened, and a circuit including saidfixed contact is closed, when the switch'is actuated.

2. A switch for a signalling system comprising a contact having spacedcontact points, a movable contact cooperating therewith tointermittently engage the contact points when the switch is actuated, acircuit maker and breaker comprising a fixed contact and a movablecontact actuated by said first movable contact, said circuit maker- -andbreaker being arranged whereby a circuit including the first movablecontact is opened, and a circuit including said fixed contact is closed,when the swltch is actuated, and a second circuit maker and breakercomprising a contact movable with" the first movable contact and havinga contact cooperating therewith, said circ'uit maker and 'breaker beingarran ed whereby a circuit is opened when the swltch is actuated.

CHARLES D. WIEMER.

